Collision rectification in wireless communication devices

ABSTRACT

Wireless communication networks utilize various communication protocols to exchange data between wireless network devices. Overlapping communication frequencies between data exchange protocols present a collision problem when data transmissions interfere with one another during wireless transit. A device for moderating transmission traffic in a wireless network where overlapping communication frequencies coexist is described to reduce or avoid interference caused by signal collisions.

CLAIM OF PRIORITY

This U.S. patent application claims priority to U.S. Provisional PatentApplication No. 60/278,458, entitled “Collision Avoidance In WirelessCommunication Devices” filed Mar. 22, 2001 which is hereby incorporatedby reference. Additionally, this application incorporates by referencethe following copending applications: U.S. patent application Ser. No.10/003,703, filed Oct. 23, 2001, and entitled “Coordination ArchitectureFor Wireless Communication Devices Using Multiple Protocols”; U.S.patent application Ser. No. 10/066,284 filed Feb. 1, 2002, and entitled“Centralized Coordination Point for Wireless Communication Devices UsingMultiple Protocols”; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/106,515, filedMar. 22, 2002, (now U.S. Pat. No. 6,954,616) and entitled “Top-LevelController For Wireless Communication Devices And Protocols”; U.S.patent application Ser. No. 10/211,976, filed Jul. 31, 2002, andentitled “Recognition Scheme For Moderating Wireless Protocols”; andU.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/211,954, filed Jul. 31, 2002, andentitled “Remotely-Cooperative Scheduling Solution For ModeratingWireless Protocols”.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to wireless networking systems and, inparticular, to a coexistive solution for frequency-overlapping wirelesscommunication protocols.

2. Description of the Related Art

Wireless communication and networking protocols are increasingly used toprovide connectivity for diverse classes of electronic devices. Thesewireless protocols permit electronic devices such as computers, personaldigital assistants (PDA), and mobile phones to transmit and receiveinformation without the requirement of physically interconnecting theelectronic devices to one another or to communications mediums via wireor cable connections. Wireless connectivity in this manner increasesportability and flexibility in electronic devices and has become animportant method by which data and information is distributed.

Numerous standards have been proposed for use in transmitting andreceiving information in wireless local area networks. Two emergingprotocols which have received widespread acceptance include Bluetooth(BT) and IEEE 802.11 (WLAN) wireless protocols. These protocols share acommon frequency spectrum in the 2.4-GHz Industrial, Scientific, andMedical (ISM) band and are used to exchange information betweenelectronic devices which support the appropriate protocol. Bothprotocols offer high speed data exchange rates and may be integratedinto devices for connecting to land-based or wired communicationsnetworks such as the Internet. In general, wireless protocols, such asBT and WLAN, transmit data by superimposing the desired information on acarrier radio wave. Data is recovered through the use of a receiverwhich specifically tunes to the transmission frequency of the carriersignal to receive the signal and decode the information containedtherein.

The Bluetooth protocol is designed primarily for short-range wirelesscommunication between electronic devices in small localized networks(piconets). The network topology in the Bluetooth piconet comprises upto eight active devices, with a maximum of threesynchronous-connection-oriented (SCO) links. These SCO links furthersupport real-time communications such as those required for voice ortelephony applications. The Bluetooth protocol additionally supportsasynchronous connection links (ACL) which are typically used to exchangedata and information in non-time critical applications. Within thepiconet topology, only one Bluetooth device may typically transmit at atime, and transmissions are managed using a master/slave relationship.One Bluetooth device is designated as a master device and controls otherslave device transmissions within the piconet. The master devicecoordinates transmissions within the piconet by continually polling theslave devices to determine which slave devices require a clear channelto transmit data. Slave devices receive “permission” from the masterdevice before transmitting information and only transmit informationwhen “asked” to do so by the master device. Controlling slavetransmission traffic in this manner permits the master device toschedule and manage information exchange within the piconet and preventsdata collisions and corruption due to overlapping data transmissionsfrom multiple devices.

Bluetooth device communication can be further characterized by the useof a frequency-hopping spread spectrum (FHSS) technique. With the FHSStechnique, data is transmitted in discrete packets along differentfrequencies within the 2.4-GHz ISM band. The Bluetooth protocolspecifies that frequency hops be made at the rate of approximately 1600hops/sec such that data exchange takes place with the data spreadthroughout the ISM band. This type of spread spectrum (SS) techniqueutilizes a relatively high energy transmission along a narrow band for alimited time.

Alternatively, the WLAN wireless protocols may be used to connectelectronic devices in a peer-to-peer network. With the peer-to-peer typeof network, there are no strict servers or hierarchy among communicatingdevices. In this network topology, each electronic device within thewireless network functions as its own server and determines when to sendand receive information without a dedicated administrative server ormaster device. Devices in the WLAN wireless network contend for accessto the available radio frequencies and bandwidth using a sensing andcollision avoidance protocol to improve the rate of data and informationtransmission.

WLAN device communication can be further characterized by the use of adirect-sequence spread spectrum (DSSS). In a DSSS communicationenvironment, data is transmitted along a wide bandwidth with relativelylow energy. Typically, DSSS divides the available ISM band into elevento fourteen sub-channels for different countries over the world. EachDSSS network will use a band of several channels centered at one ofthese standard sub-channels. In a multiple access-area network,overlapping and/or adjacent areas using different channels can operatesimultaneously without interference if the distance between the centerfrequencies is at least 30 MHz. WLAN protocols occupy these fixedchannels of the ISM band, (passbands), to transmit and receiveinformation between compatible devices.

While the aforementioned wireless protocols function well inenvironments where only one wireless protocol in the ISM band is inoperation, a problem arises in local area networks where Bluetooth andWLAN devices coexist. The shared frequency range of the two protocolsinevitably results in transmission interference and data corruption asthe two protocols operate with transmission frequencies that overlap atvarious times during routine transmission of information. The resultingfrequency overlap degrades the network performance and transmissionrates in both families of devices due to a lack of ability of wirelessdevices which use differing protocols to coordinate their datatransmissions. This problem is exacerbated as the number of wirelessdevices within the network increases and is further affected by theproximity in which the wireless devices are placed with respect to oneanother. Thus, in order to prevent undue network performancedegradation, a compensation scheme must be devised to facilitate thecoexistence of shared frequency network topologies such as those used byBT and WLAN protocols.

The widespread acceptance of both the Bluetooth and WLAN wirelessprotocols has further lead to the manufacture of a large number ofelectronic devices which typically incorporate only a single wirelesstechnology or protocol for network communication. This creates anadditional problem as there are many existing wireless networks whichnecessarily dictate the type of wireless protocol which can be usedwithin the network or in the vicinity of those devices in the network.Wireless devices which do not comply with the protocol of the existingwireless network may be incompatible with the network and may beprecluded from use. Thus, a user may be denied access to wirelessdevices which cannot be integrated into the existing wireless networkinfrastructure because of conflicting wireless standards. In the absenceof a unifying device which permits the use of more than one wirelessstandard in the same service area, existing wireless devices in thenetwork may be required to be replaced with updated devices which arecapable of communicating using multiple wireless standards to preventtiming and data collisions. Clearly, device replacement in this manneris undesirable as it may be prohibitively expensive and preclude the useof wireless devices which operate with differing frequency-overlappingprotocols.

Currently, coexistive methods and mechanisms are difficult to implementdue to the requirement of using a wired back haul device or a dual moderadio with a special protocol. Additionally, interference andtransmission collision between frequency competing protocols can besignificant, and, therefore, coexistive systems are not easilyimplemented in current wireless local area networks that utilize aplurality of protocols. For example, a current collision avoidancemethod reduces collision interference by isolating competing protocolsinto separately designated access areas. Although isolatingfrequency-overlapping protocols may reduce collision interference, theconvenience of using the wireless network access area diminishes due toa reduced wireless network transmission range.

Based on the foregoing, a need exists for a system to facilitate thecoexistence of wireless devices which operate with differentfrequency-overlapping protocols such as the Bluetooth and WLAN wirelessprotocols. A desirable feature of such a system is to permit the use ofexisting wireless devices without substantial modification. Furthermore,this system should manage cross-protocol trafficking to reducecollisions and interference between the wireless protocols using mixedtopologies so as to permit wireless devices with differing protocols tofunction within the same transmission area.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one aspect the invention comprises a method for collision avoidancein a wireless network of the present invention, wherein a firstcommunication protocol and a second communication protocol are utilizedby a plurality of data transfer terminals to transmit data over at leastpartially overlapping frequencies. The method comprises acquiring timingstatistics reflective of a first data schedule for the first protocoland the second protocol during the data transmission between theplurality of data transfer terminals and analyzing the timing statisticsof the first data schedule to identify impending collisions resultingfrom frequency-overlap in data transmissions in the first and the secondprotocols. The method further comprises constructing a second dataschedule in which the data transmission in the first and the secondprotocol are arranged in a non-colliding order and transmitting ajamming signal to manipulates the data transmission in at least one ofthe protocols thereby conforming the data transmission to the seconddata schedule such that subsequent data exchange occurs withoutcollision.

In another aspect the invention comprises, a data collisionrectification device for use in a wireless communication network whereinfrequency-overlapping protocols comprising a first protocol and a secondprotocol are used to exchange information between a plurality of datatransfer nodes and result in periodic collisions when information istransmitted by the first and the second protocol infrequency-overlapping manner. The device further comprises acoordination component which receives and transmits information using atleast one of the protocols and moderates the exchange of information byemitting a jamming signal which delays the transmission of informationin at least one of the protocols and a synchronization component whichreceives timing statistics during the exchange of information betweenthe plurality of data transfer nodes using at least one of the protocolsand subsequently assesses the timing statistics to determine if datacollisions are imminent and furthermore directs the coordinationcomponent to moderate subsequent information exchange using the jammingsignal to reduce data collisions between the frequency-overlappingprotocols.

In another embodiment, the invention comprises a method for assuringquality of service in a wireless communication network having aplurality of traffic types broadcast over at least partially overlappingfrequencies. The method further comprises assigning a priority to eachof the traffic types and associating a desired quality of service levelto each of the plurality of traffic types. The method further comprisesassessing the current quality of service for the traffic types andapplying a decision making sequence to prioritize the traffic types tomaintain the desirable level of quality for each traffic type, thedecision making sequence is further capable of moderating the broadcastof at least one of the plurality of traffic types with a jamming signal,wherein use of the jamming signal is based on the priority and thedesirable level of quality of service of at least one of the protocols.

In yet another aspect, the invention comprises a method for assuringquality of service may further comprise a decision making sequence,wherein, when the decision making sequence detects a reduction of thecurrent quality of service for a first traffic type, the sequence mayapply the jamming signal, which inserts a delay in at least a portion ofa second traffic type with a lower priority to permit increasedthroughput of the first traffic type with a higher priority. Inaddition, when the decision making sequence detects a reduction of thecurrent quality of service for the second traffic type below the desiredlevel of quality of service, the sequence may remove the jamming signal,which halts the delay to permit the second traffic type to increasethroughput to achieve the desired level of quality of service. Moreover,when the decision making sequence detects a reduction of the currentquality of service for a first traffic type, the sequence may delay thetransmission of a second traffic type with a lower priority to permitincreased throughput of the first traffic type with a higher priority.Furthermore, the first traffic type may comprise a Bluetooth protocoland the second traffic type may comprise a WLAN or IEEE 802.11Bprotocol, which are broadcast simultaneously in the wirelesscommunications network.

In yet another embodiment, the invention comprises a method for trafficcoordination in a wireless communication network, wherein a plurality ofwireless communication devices transmit information using a plurality offrequency-overlapping protocols, and wherein a control point issuessequencing signals to manage transmission traffic over the plurality offrequency-overlapping protocols to reduce collisions. The method furthercomprises listening to the transmission traffic of the communicationdevices and determining an order in the traffic which reduces collisionbetween the frequency-overlapping protocols. The method furthercomprises transmitting the sequencing signals to stall traffic in atleast one of the frequency-overlapping protocols to permit the orderingof the transmission traffic.

In one aspect, the method for traffic coordination may further comprisesequencing signals, wherein the sequencing signals comprise jammingsignals issued by the control point to selectively order thetransmission traffic by stalling at least one of thefrequency-overlapping protocols thereby permitting informationtransmission through other frequency-overlapping protocols such thatdata reduced collisions are reduced. In addition, the method for trafficcoordination may also include jamming signals that may be selectivelytransmitted using at least one of the frequency-overlapping protocols ata power above a threshold level which result in wireless communicationdevices using the selected protocol to perceive a busy status such thatthe selected protocol is temporarily stalled.

In still another embodiment, the method for traffic coordination maycomprise jamming signals, wherein the jamming signals include signalstransmitted and recognized by selected frequency-overlapping protocolsas valid data-transmission packets containing information interpreted bywireless communication devices using the selected frequency-overlappingprotocol to indicate that the selected frequency-overlapping protocol isbusy. In addition, the jamming signals may comprise signals that aretransmitted and recognized by selected frequency-overlapping protocolsas invalid data-transmission packets which stall the selectedfrequency-overlapping protocols. Moreover, the jamming signals maycomprise signals that are transmitted and recognized by selectedfrequency-overlapping protocols as time reservation packets containinginformation interpreted by wireless communication devices using theselected frequency-overlapping protocols to wait for permission totransmit.

In still another embodiment, the invention comprises a data collisionrectification device of the present invention for use in a wirelesscommunication network, wherein frequency-overlapping protocolscomprising a first protocol and a second protocol are used to exchangeinformation between a plurality of data transfer nodes and result inperiodic collisions when information is transmitted by the first and thesecond protocol in frequency-overlapping channels. In one embodiment,the device may comprise a coordination component which receives andtransmits information using at least one of the protocols and moderatesthe exchange of information by emitting a jamming signal which delaysthe transmission of information in at least one of the protocols. Thedevice may further comprise a synchronization component which receivestiming statistics during the exchange of information between theplurality of data transfer nodes using at least one of the protocols andsubsequently assesses the timing statistics to determine if datacollisions are imminent and furthermore directs the coordinationcomponent to moderate subsequent information exchange using the jammingsignal to reduce data collisions between the frequency-overlappingprotocols.

In one aspect, a transmission verification sequence may be used by thedevice to determine if an available channel exists to transmit data in anon-frequency overlapping manner and wherein the jamming signal is usedto temporarily and selectively exert a busy status within the wirelesscommunication network such the second protocol is inhibited fromtransmitting data while the first protocol is allowed to transmit datain a non-conflicting manner. In addition, the data collisionrectification device may use a control point transmission verificationsequence to coordinate transmission traffic in the wirelesscommunication network. In another aspect, the first protocol may be afrequency-hopping spread spectrum protocol, wherein thefrequency-hopping spread spectrum protocol may include a Bluetoothprotocol. Moreover, the second protocol may be a direct-sequence spreadspectrum protocol, wherein the direct-sequence spread spectrum protocolmay include a wireless local area network (WLAN) protocol or an IEEE802.11B protocol.

In still another aspect, the invention comprises a traffic coordinationsystem for a wireless communication network. The system furthercomprises a plurality of wireless communication devices which exchangeinformation packets using at least one of a plurality offrequency-overlapping protocols and a control point which transmitsjamming signals over at least one of the frequency-overlapping protocolsto selectively defer the exchange of information packets between atleast one of the plurality of wireless communication devices. In oneembodiment, the control point further transmits jamming signals over afirst frequency-overlapping protocols such that packet collisionsbetween the first frequency-overlapping protocol and a secondfrequency-overlapping protocol are reduced.

In one aspect, the jamming signal may comprise transmitting informationpackets in the first frequency-overlapping protocol at a power above athreshold level which results in wireless communication devices usingthe first frequency-overlapping protocol to perceive a busy status suchthat the first frequency-overlapping protocol is stalled and data may betransmitted through the second frequency-overlapping protocol. Inaddition, the jamming signal may comprise transmitting valid informationpackets over the first frequency-overlapping protocol containinginformation interpreted by wireless communication devices using thefirst frequency-overlapping protocol to indicate the firstfrequency-overlapping protocol is busy. Moreover, the jamming signal maycomprise transmitting valid information packets with a power above athreshold over the first frequency-overlapping protocol containinginformation interpreted by wireless communication devices using thefirst frequency-overlapping protocol to indicate the firstfrequency-overlapping protocol is busy.

In another aspect, the jamming signal may comprise transmitting invalidinformation packets over the first frequency-overlapping protocolcontaining information interpreted by wireless communication devicesusing the first frequency-overlapping protocol to indicate the firstfrequency-overlapping protocol is busy. Additionally, the jamming signalmay comprise transmitting invalid information packets with a power abovea threshold over the first frequency-overlapping protocol containinginformation interpreted by wireless communication devices using thefirst frequency-overlapping protocol to indicate the firstfrequency-overlapping protocol is busy. Furthermore, the jamming signalsmay be recognized by the first frequency-overlapping protocol as timereservation packets containing information interpreted by wirelesscommunication devices using the first frequency-overlapping protocol towait for permission to transmit.

In yet another aspect, the control point further may comprise an accesspoint connected to a backbone network, which permits the control pointto manage data exchange between the plurality of wireless communicationdevices and the backbone network. In addition, the backbone networkcomprises land-based networks including Ethernet, digital subscriberline, dial-up, or plane telephone networks.

From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that the collision avoidancemethod, device, and system of the present invention utilizes a jammingsignal to coordinate and moderate wireless traffic in a wirelessnetwork. This greatly improves the reliability of a wireless network toallow wireless devices to transmit data packets and informationsuccessfully and at a reduced risk of frequency-overlapping collisions.Moreover, the addition of a control point device, with trafficcoordination and moderation capabilities, to the wireless networkincreases the usability of a wireless network comprising co-mingledfrequency-overlapping protocols. These and other objects and advantagesof the present invention will become apparent from the followingdescription taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other aspects, advantages, and novel features of the inventionwill become apparent upon reading the following detailed description andupon reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, sameelements have the same reference numerals in which:

FIG. 1A illustrates a wireless network with overlapping transmissionareas.

FIG. 1B illustrates the wireless network integrating a control pointdevice.

FIG. 2 illustrates one embodiment of the control point device.

FIG. 3A illustrates one embodiment of a control point transmissionverification sequence to reduce interference and data corruption in thewireless network by using as jamming signal.

FIG. 3B illustrates one embodiment of a station transmissionverification sequence to reduce interference and data corruption in thewireless network by using a jamming signal.

FIGS. 4A and 4B illustrate one embodiment of a collision avoidancetiming diagram that demonstrates the application of the jamming signal.

FIGS. 5A and 5B illustrate another embodiment of the collision avoidancetiming diagram that demonstrates the application of the jamming signal.

FIGS. 6A and 6B illustrate yet another embodiment of the collisionavoidance timing diagram that demonstrates the application of thejamming signal.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

FIG. 1A illustrates one embodiment of a wireless network 100. Aplurality of wireless communication devices or data transfer terminals105 operate within one or more access areas 107, 108. Each access area107, 108 is further characterized by a wireless signal reception area.The signals 109 produced by the wireless communication devices 105 maybe received by other wireless communication devices 105 within the sameaccess area 107, 108. The wireless communication devices 105 furtherutilize a plurality of wireless communication protocols 110, 111. Thecommunication devices 105 within the same access area 107, 108communicate with other communication devices 105 that operate using thesame communication protocol 110, 111. In one embodiment, the wirelesscommunication devices 105 utilize a Bluetooth (BT) wirelesscommunication protocol and a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) wirelesscommunication protocol in the wireless network 100.

As shown in the illustrated embodiment, the plurality of communicationdevices 105 further comprise a first subset 112 of one or morecommunication devices 105, which operate using a first wireless protocol110, such as the BT protocol, and a second subset 113 of one or morecommunication devices 105, which operate using a second wirelessprotocol 111, such as the WLAN protocol. The nature of the wirelesscommunication protocols 110, 111 is such that at least a portion of thewireless communication protocols 110, 111 operate in a portion of theelectromagnetic spectrum. A frequency overlap is established between thefirst 110 and the second 111 communications protocol. As previouslydiscussed, use of frequency-overlapping protocols may result incollision or interference when the protocols 110, 111 operate within thesame vicinity of one another. As is shown in the illustrated embodiment,an interference area 115 occurs in each access area 107, 108, wheretransmissions made using the first frequency-overlapping protocol 110coexist with transmissions made using the second frequency-overlappingprotocol 111.

It will be appreciated that although the access areas 107, 108illustrated in FIG. 1A are shown to partially overlap, the access areas107, 108 may wholly overlap or one access area may completely coveranother access area, wherein the communication devices 105, which usethe one or more frequency-overlapping protocols 110, 111, are positionedin proximity to one another such that the access area for thefrequency-overlapping protocols exists in the same spatial locality(i.e. access areas defined by identical or concentric spatial regions).In one embodiment, one access area is larger than other smaller accessareas. As a result, the larger access area can overlap with or whollycontain several smaller access areas. It will be further appreciatedthat the communication devices 105 may be positioned within the accessareas 107, 108 such that only a portion of the devices 105 reside in theinterference area 115 where the communication protocols 110, 111overlap. The presence, however, of any communication device 105 withinthe region of overlap is sufficient for creating interference andcollisions between the frequency-overlapping protocols 110, 111.

FIG. 1B illustrates one embodiment of the wireless network 100integrating a data collision rectification device or control point (CP)device 117, which permits the coexistence of the wireless network 100with frequency-overlapping protocols 110, 111. In the illustratedembodiment, the CP device 117 is positioned within the interferenceregion 115 between the two access areas 107, 108. The CP device 117serves as a moderator for at least one of the frequency-overlappingprotocols 110, 111 to permit uncorrupted data transmissions in theoverlying access areas 107, 108 such that collisions and interferencebetween the first 110 and the second 111 frequency-overlapping protocolsare reduced. The CP device 117 moderates data transmissions or signals109 and controls the flow of data by monitoring and maintaining qualityof service parameters for at least one of the protocols 110, 111 in amanner that will be discussed in greater detail herein below.

In one aspect, the CP device 117 is implemented as an independentdevice, which possesses necessary functionality to moderate datatransmissions 109 between the frequency-overlapping protocols 110, 111.One desirable feature of the independent CP device 117 is that it may beconveniently positioned within an existing wireless communicationsnetwork 110, where data collisions and interference occur to improvedata exchange and throughput. In one embodiment, the independent CPdevice 117 moderates data transmissions 109 between the overlappingwireless protocols 110, 111 in a manner which does not require othercommunication devices 105 within the network 100 to be modified orrepositioned. It will be appreciated that this feature of the CP device117 increases the flexibility and functionality of the wireless network100 and associated wireless devices 105. Furthermore, the independent CPdevice 117 reduces potential costs associated with replacing existingwireless devices 105, which might otherwise interfere with each otherdue to their use of frequency-overlapping protocols 110, 111.

It will further be appreciated that, although the CP device 117 is shownpositioned in the interference region 109 of the access areas 107, 108,the CP device 117 may also be positioned elsewhere within the accessareas 107, 108. For example, the CP device 117 may be positioned withinthe first access area 107 to moderate the first set 112 of wirelessdevices 105, which are associated with the first frequency-overlappingprotocol 110. In this instance, network traffic flow is improved bycontrolling the first set 112 of wireless devices 105 whose datatransfer activities are moderated to prevent collision with the secondset 113 of wireless devices 105 whose data transfer activities are notmoderated by the CP device 117.

FIG. 2 illustrates a block diagram of the CP device 117 architectureutilized to monitor and moderate wireless data transmissions. The CPdevice 117 comprises a receiver module 120, a transmitter module 121,and a signal processing module 122. The modules 120, 121, 122 areconfigured to work independent of the existing wireless network devices105 and to coordinate the frequency-overlapping transmission traffic inthe wireless network 100 with the frequency-overlapping protocols 110,111.

The receiver module 120 is configured to receive and monitor the datapacket transmission traffic in the wireless network 100, where thefrequency-overlapping protocols 110, 111 are in use. In one embodiment,the receiver module 120 has the capability to receive anddemodulate/decode WLAN and BT data packets. In addition, the receivermodule 120 has a further capability to provide the signal processingmodule 122 with the received and demodulated/decoded WLAN and BTinformation.

The transmitter module 121 is configured to transmit data packets in atleast one of the frequency-overlapping protocols 110, 111. In oneembodiment, the transmitter module 121 has the capability tomodulate/encode and transmit WLAN and BT packets within the access areas107, 108. The transmitter is further capable of issuing jamming signalsto the network stations 105, which will be discussed in greater detailherein below. Additionally, the transmitter module 121 is equipped withthe capability of accepting commands and transmission data from thesignal processing module 122.

In one aspect, the signal processing module 122 is configured to controlthe receiver module 120 and the transmitter module 121. The signalprocessing module 122 is further programmed to make transmission trafficcoordination decisions based on predetermined criteria. In oneembodiment, the signal processing module 122 accepts the decoded datafrom receiver module 120, determines the transmission protocol type, andextracts header information that was present in the data transmission ofthe received wireless signal. In addition, the signal processing module122 coordinates transmission traffic by deferring WLAN data with the useof a jamming signal, which will be discussed in greater detail hereinbelow. The coordination of data transmissions in access areas, such asaccess areas 107, 108, allows for the coexistence of a plurality offrequency-overlapping protocols, such as WLAN and BT protocols.

The IEEE 802.11 medium access control (MAC) provides functionality for areliable mechanism capable of transmitting data over a wireless medium.The MAC layer handles the network addressing and error-detectionfunctions with the function of moving data from one network interface toanother across a shared medium. In one aspect, data is framed into apacket, and the packet includes a header field. A typical wirelesstransmission header comprises information that includes data packettransmission characteristics, such as the packet data rate, packetlength, the packet timing, and the packet transmission frequency. Thedata packet characteristics are used by the signal processing module 122to prioritize packet transmissions within the wireless network 100.

In another aspect, the signal processing module 122 further utilizes thedata packet characteristics to determine if a collision is imminent orlikely to occur. If it is determined that a collision between thefrequency-overlapping protocols 110, 111 may occur, then the signalprocessing module 122 initiates a collision avoidance procedure to avoidcollision interference between the frequency-overlapping protocols 110,111. In another embodiment, depending on the collision or interferencesituation, the signal processing module 122 may be equipped with thecapability to select an appropriate jamming signal to use forprioritizing data packets. The prioritization of the data packets isfurther performed by acquiring timing information from the headercharacteristics of previously transmitted data packets as well as timinginformation from data packets that are currently being transmitted.

In still another aspect, the signal processing module 122 comprises acoordination component, which is configured to receive and transmitinformation using at least one of the frequency-overlapping protocols110, 111 and moderates the exchange of information by emitting a jammingsignal, which delays the transmission of information in at least one ofthe protocols. The jamming signal concept will be discussed in greaterdetail herein below. In addition, the signal processing module 122comprises a synchronization component, which is configured to receivetiming statistics during the exchange of information between theplurality of wireless network devices 105 using at least one of theprotocols and subsequently assesses the timing statistics to determineif an acceptable quality of service is maintained and furthermoredirects the coordination component to moderate subsequent informationexchange using the jamming signal to reduce data collisions between thefrequency-overlapping protocols.

In yet another aspect, the signal processing module 122 identifiesquality of service parameters to determine if the frequency-overlappingprotocols 110, 111 are operating within desirable ranges. The assignmentand evaluation of individual quality requirements for each protocol 110,111 vary depending on the intended use of the information contained inthe wireless transmissions. The quality requirements may, for example,define the degree of degradation, latency, interference, or errorcorrection, which can be tolerated by the protocol 110, 111 within apre-determined threshold. The predetermined quality of service thresholdis desirably maintained by the signal processing module 122 to insurethat the corresponding wireless transmissions do not experience delays,corruption, or interference, which may degrade the data transmissionthroughput of a protocol 110, 111 to a level below a desired performancelevel.

FIG. 3A illustrates a control point transmission verification sequence150A as a method for the CP device 117 to avoid collisions in thewireless network 100 by using a jamming signal. A jamming signal may beused to reduce interference and data corruption resulting from thesimultaneous transmission of frequency-overlapping data packets that usethe frequency-overlapping protocols 110, 111. The transmissionverification sequence 150A is used by the CP device 117 to avoidcollisions based on acquired timing information and statistics of thewireless network traffic. The timing information and statistics includesheader information, which is indicative of previously and currentlytransmitted characteristics of the data packets.

The CP transmission verification sequence 150A commences in a startstate 150A and proceeds to a state 155 where the CP device 117 receivestransmission information and monitors the wireless transmission trafficon the one or more frequency channels of the wireless network 100. Morespecifically, the receiver module 120 monitors the transmission trafficby polling or “listening” to transmission information contained in thewireless transmissions made by BT wireless devices and WLAN wirelessdevices to identify the transmission characteristics that relate to howdata packets are being transmitted via the WLAN and BT stations 105. Thetransmission characteristics may further include information such as thesequence of data packets being transmitted, the timing of thetransmitted data packets, and the one or more frequency channels thatthe data packets will be transmitted on.

While monitoring the transmission traffic and header characteristics ofthe data packets in the state 155, the control point transmissionverification sequence 150A advances to a state 157, where collisiondetection is performed. In the state 157, the signal processing module122 determines if a collision between the frequency-overlappingprotocols 110, 111 is imminent or likely to occur. If data packetcollision events remain undetected, the signal processing module 122permits the BT wireless devices and the WLAN wireless devices totransmit information without moderation or interruption. If, however, adata packet collision or protocol interference is predicted, the signalprocessing module 122 proceeds to a new state 159 where a jamming signalis transmitted. The jamming signal is designed to defer WLAN traffic insuch a manner so as to prevent or decrease data collisions orinterference between the WLAN and BT frequency-overlapping protocols110, 111. The jamming signal concept and the method of utilizing ajamming signal to avoid collisions between competingfrequency-overlapping protocols will be discussed in greater detailherein below.

After initiating the jamming signal transmission in the state 159, thesignal processing module 122 proceeds to a state 163, where the signalprocessing module 122 maintains the jamming signal until the scheduledstart time of the BT packet. When the scheduled time of sending the BTpacket arrives, the signal processing module 122 releases ordiscontinues the jamming signal in a state 165 and proceeds to allow thetransmission of the BT packet. From the state 165, the CP device 117proceeds to halt the control point transmission verification sequence150A in the end state 169.

Using the aforementioned transmission verification sequence 150A, the CPdevice 117 monitors the wireless network 100 so as to coordinate thetransmission traffic of frequency-overlapping protocols 110, 111 byprioritizing data packets. One desirable feature observed when usingthis method is that by acquiring timing information, packet lengthinformation, and transmitting channel frequency information from theheader characteristics of previously and currently transmitted datapackets, the CP device 117 may reduce the interference and corruptioncaused by collisions between the frequency-overlapping protocols 110,111. In one aspect, the CP device may accomplish this task by utilizingthe jamming signal to defer the data packets of one protocol and createan open channel for the data packets of the other protocol when acollision is imminent or likely to occur.

FIG. 3B illustrates a station transmission verification sequence 150B asa method for the wireless network stations 105 to monitor the airchannel in the wireless network 100. In this particular embodiment, thestations use the WLAN protocol to monitor and evaluate WLAN wirelesstransmission traffic in the wireless network 100. The CP transmissionverification sequence 150B commences in a start state 150B and proceedsto a state 171, where the network stations 105 receive transmissioninformation indicative of their protocol and monitor the transmissionchannels on the wireless network 100.

While monitoring the transmission channels, each WLAN station 105 in thewireless network 100 proceeds to the state 173, where network stations105 determine 173 whether or not a channel is available for transmittinga data packet. If a channel is not available, then each WLAN station 105proceeds to a state 175 to wait for an available channel in the state173. If a channel is available, then the WLAN stations 105 proceed to astate 177 to determine if a busy is asserted on the wireless network100. In one aspect, when the CP device 117 transmits a jamming signal,the jamming signal asserts a busy on the wireless network 100. If a busyis asserted on the wireless network 100, then the stations 105 proceedto wait for an available channel in the state 175. If a busy is notasserted on the wireless network 100, then the station proceeds to astate 179 to transmit a data packet. The method of and reason forasserting a busy on the wireless network 100 will be discussed ingreater detail herein below. After transmitting a data packet in thestate 179, the WLAN network stations 105 proceed to halt the stationtransmission verification sequence 150B in the end state 181.

The network stations 105 monitor the wireless network 100 so as todetermine when to transmit data packets on an open channel. If a busy isasserted on the wireless network 100 or a channel is unavailable, thenetwork stations 105 will wait for an available channel. Otherwise, thenetwork stations 105 will transmit data packets without moderation fromthe CP device 117.

FIG. 4A illustrates one embodiment of a collision avoidance timingdiagram 200 that demonstrates the application of a jamming signal 202 tothe wireless network 100. As previously discussed, the CP device 117coordinates the coexistence of the frequency-overlapping transmissionsin the wireless network 100 by using the transmission verificationsequences 150A, 150B. The collision avoidance timing diagram 200comprises subdividing a first temporal transmission region 201 intothree separate transmission regions: a no collision region 230, aninterference region 232, and a resolution region 234.

The no collision region 230 is a transmission region in which the CPdevice 117 determines that a frequency-overlapping collision is unlikelyto occur. In this case, the CP device 117 allows the transmission of aWLAN packet (A) 207 to the desired WLAN station 105 within the wirelessnetwork 100. Next, the interference region 232 is a transmission regionin which the CP device 117 determines that a frequency-overlappingcollision is likely to occur. In this case, the CP device 117 assertsthe busy signal 212 on the air channel to the WLAN stations 105, whichallows the deference of a WLAN packet (B) 208 for the duration of ajamming period 210. Further, the first resolution region 234 is atransmission region in which the CP device 117 determines that afrequency-overlapping collision is unlikely to occur and then proceedsto resolve the deferred WLAN packet (B) 208 at this time. In this case,the CP device 117 has determined that a BT packet 204 has beencompletely sent and then proceeds to allow the transmission of the WLANpacket (B) 208 to the desired WLAN station 105 within the wirelessnetwork 100.

If, at the start of the jamming period 210, a previous WLAN packet (A)207 has not completed transmission, then the jamming signal 202 maystart at the end of the WLAN packet (A) 207. From the start of thejamming period 210 until the BT packet 204 is sent, interference betweenfrequency-overlapping protocols 110, 111 is avoided by deferring theWLAN packet (B) 208 to the next available resolution region 234 afterthe BT packet 204 has completed transmission. In one embodiment, thejamming period 210 length is at least equal to the deferred packet (B)208 length including the acknowledgement time, and, in addition, thejamming signal 202 plus the BT packet 204 signal may effectively occupythe air channel until the end of the BT packet 204 transmission.

The CP device 117 acts as a mechanism for the ordering of data packetswithin the interference area 115 where the communication protocols 110,111 overlap. The method 200 of deferring data packets utilizes a jammingsignal 202. The jamming signal 202 is based on the concept that, in theaccess areas 107, 108, the individual stations 105 of the WLAN protocolenvironment 108 listen to an air channel for space availability prior totransmitting a WLAN data packet 207, 208. If a busy signal 212 isasserted by the CP device 117, then the individual WLAN stations 105 inthe access area 108 perceive the air channel as busy until a BT datapacket 204 is sent. In one aspect, the jamming signal is a signal ortransmission that appears on the air channel to be of power or intensityin the WLAN band above a threshold at WLAN receiving stations. Forexample, in one embodiment, when the transmission energy of a WLANpacket is above a 100 mW threshold, the stations may wait for thetransmission power to dip below 100 mW before listening to the airchannel and receiving the data packet. This jamming signal is referredto as energy on air based upon the energy differential of the jammingsignal.

In addition, the jamming signal may be utilized to affect the ClearChannel Assessment (CCA) Mode 1 function in a WLAN station to report abusy. The CCA Mode 1 option in WLAN stations may report a busy upondetection of any in-band energy signal above a pre-determined energy onair threshold. The energy on air from this type of jamming plus theenergy on air from the BT packet will appear to be a busy until the endof the BT packet transmission. For example, when the CP device 117asserts the busy signal 212 onto the air channel, the individual WLANstations 105 wait until the end of the busy assertion period. In thissituation, the individual WLAN stations 105 are considered jammed fromtransmitting any data packets until the CP device 117 no longer assertsthe busy signal 212 on the air channel.

Detecting packet collisions between frequency-overlapping protocols 110,111 in the wireless radio frequency (RF) transmission network 100 may bedifficult. Usually, there is no warning prior to a collision, and thecorrupted data is discovered after the collision has already occurred.Unless the header information is extracted or known prior totransmission, it is difficult to determine possible future collisions.On the other hand, collision prevention by intercepting transmissions,decoding the header information, and analyzing the headercharacteristics may be used to reduce future collisions. In someinstances, such as real time voice transmissions, data packets may onlybe transmitted once without error correction, delays or retransmission.The collision prevention device of the present invention, advantageouslyovercomes this obstacle in frequency-overlapping networks.

Furthermore, the utilization of collision avoidance methods instead ofcollision detection methods may be a preferred approach for thecoexistence of frequency-overlapping protocols 110, 111. To this end, aCCA algorithm may be used by the CP device 117 to determine if the airchannel is clear by measuring the RF energy on air at the antenna anddetermining if the strength of the received signal is below a specifiedthreshold or a different carrier type than WLAN transmitters. The airchannel can then be declared clear and the medium access control (MAC)sublayer can be given the clear channel status for data packettransmission.

In one embodiment, the CP device 117 utilizes the transmissionverification sequence 150A with reference to the collision avoidancetiming diagram 200 in FIG. 4A as follows. First, the receiver module 120of the CP device 117 scans and listens to the air channel transmissiontraffic, and then the signal processing module 122 uses a softwareprogram or hardware logic to identify the probability of interferencebetween the WLAN packets 207, 208 and the BT packet 204 within the firsttemporal transmission region 201. The signal processing module 122 maythen determine that the probability of interference between the twocompeting protocols 110, 111 in a first transmission region 230 isunlikely, and, therefore, the signal processing module 122 administers ano collision status, which allows the complete transmission of the WLANpacket (A) 207.

Next, the signal processing module 122 may determine that there is ahigh probability of interference between the two protocols 110, 111 inthe interference region 232, where a collision between the two competingprotocols 110, 111 may take place. Therefore, a collision avoidanceprocedure is administered by the signal processing module 122. Thesignal processing module 122 commands the transmitter module 121 tobegin transmitting the first jamming signal 202, which asserts a busysignal 212 on the air channel at the end of the region 230.Subsequently, the jamming signal 202 provides an available space on theair channel for the transmission of the BT packet 204 in theinterference region 232, where, as a result, the WLAN packet 208 isdelayed until the BT packet 204 has completed transmission.

Once the jamming signal 202 is no longer transmitted by the transmittermodule 122 at the end of the interference region 232, the signalprocessing module 122 may determine that the probability of interferenceis reduced and then decide to allow the transmission of the WLAN packet(B) 208 in the first resolution region 234. Therefore, the first methodof deference 200 avoids collisions between the two frequency-overlappingprotocols 110, 111 by deferring the transmission of the WLAN packet (B)208 until the BT packet 204 has completed transmission.

From the description above, it will be appreciated that, although themodules 120, 121, 122 of the CP device 117 are used to avoidinterference and collisions by deferring WLAN packets, the method ofdeference 200 may also be designed to defer BT packets within an accessarea that comprises a plurality of BT piconets. In one aspect, priorityis given to BT packets to increase the bandwidth of real time BT datatransmissions, such as a Synchronous Connection Oriented (SCO) link. SCOlinks, such as voice and telephony applications, may require that voicedata cannot be retransmitted in a wireless BT network. In anotheraspect, the available bandwidth for competing frequency-overlappingprotocols 110, 111 may be distributed evenly throughout the network tomaintain balanced service levels for each protocol.

FIG. 4B further illustrates the interference region 232 of theabove-mentioned embodiment of the collision avoidance timing diagram200. A plurality of BT packets 204, 205, 206 may be sent within a longerjamming period 211. The transmitter module 121 transmits the jammingsignal 202 between BT timing packets 204, 205, 206 to ensure BT packettransmission without interference from the WLAN frequency-overlappingdata packet 208 during the longer jamming period 211. This processdemonstrates the ability of the CP device 117 to increase the bandwidthof BT packet transmission with reduced interference and collision. TheWLAN network status is asserted busy 212 during the completetransmission of the multiple BT packets. It will be appreciated that theCP device 117 may prioritize BT packets when service levels necessitatethe need for an improved BT packet transmission bandwidth.

FIG. 5A illustrates another embodiment of the collision avoidance timingdiagram 200 for the application of the jamming signal 202 in thewireless network 100. As previously discussed, the CP device 117coordinates the coexistence of the frequency-overlapping transmissionsin the wireless network 100 by using the transmission verificationsequences 150A, 150B. This particular embodiment of the jamming signal202 may be recognized by the WLAN CCA Mode 2/4 function. The CCA Mode2/4 function checks for the presence of a carrier. If no carrier ispresent and the air channel is clear to send transmissions, then theWLAN station may proceed to transmit a data packet.

In one aspect, the jamming signal 202 comprises a valid WLAN packetmodulated in the current WLAN modulation/coding method, and the jammingsignal 202 appears to be a valid WLAN packet or part thereof at the WLANreceiving stations. The length of the jamming signal 202 is encoded inthe WLAN Physical Layer Convergence Protocol (PLCP) header 220, whichcovers the time duration of the jamming period 210 until the end of theBT packet 204 transmission. The PLCP header is similar to the packetheader discussed previously. In addition, the WLAN air channel isasserted busy 212 for the duration of the jamming period 210. In oneaspect, the entire PLCP header 220 is sent prior to the transmission ofthe BT packet 204. In another aspect, the transmission of the PLCPheader 220 may be aborted to avoid collision with the BT packet 204.

The timing diagram of FIG. 5A may also be applied in an embodiment wherethe application of the jamming signal 202 may be recognized by the WLANCCA Mode 3/5 function. The CCA Mode 3/5 function checks for the presenceof a carrier with a transmission power above a threshold. If no carrieris sensed, the power is below the threshold, and the air channel isclear to send transmissions, then the WLAN station may proceed totransmit a data packet. If the transmission power is sensed above athreshold, then the air channel is asserted busy and the WLAN stationswait for an available frequency channel for transmission.

In addition, the jamming signal 202 is considered a valid WLAN packetmodulated in the current WLAN modulation/coding method with the power ofthe jamming signal 202 higher than a transmission power threshold at theWLAN receiving stations. In one aspect, the jamming signal 202 appearsto be a valid WLAN packet or part thereof at the WLAN receivingstations. In another aspect, the WLAN air channel is asserted busy 212for the duration of the jamming period 210.

In yet another embodiment, the jamming signal 202 may utilize thestandard WLAN RTS (Request To Send)/CTS(Clear To Send) packets as thejamming signal 202. The RTS/CTS protocol is utilized for a reservationof air time allowance for the prioritized BT packet 204 transmission.Once an RTS/CTS packet appears on the air channel and is received by theWLAN stations 105, the time duration specified in the length field ofthe RTS/CTS header is reserved and WLAN stations will not initiate thetransmission of a WLAN packet 208 until the end of the specified timeduration given by the RTS/CTS header. This embodiment of the collisionavoidance timing diagram 200 may use either one or both of the RTS/CTSpackets for the jamming signal 202.

In one aspect, a four-way handshake may be utilized by the CP device 117to transmit WLAN data packets, where communication is establishedbetween the CP device 117 and a WLAN network station, when at least oneof the WLAN network stations sends a Request To Send (RTS) packet. Thepacket includes information such as the destination address, the lengthof the data, the transmission address, and the type of data to be sent.The message duration is known as the Network Allocation Vector (NAV).The NAV alerts the other network stations to wait until the currentpacket has completed transmission. Once the WLAN control point or accesspoint receives the RTS packet from a WLAN network station, the WLANaccess point transmits a Clear To Send (CTS) packet. Once the CTS packetis received by the WLAN network station, the data packet is sent by theWLAN network station. When the data is received by the WLAN accesspoint, an Acknowledgement (ACK) packet is sent by the WLAN access pointto the WLAN network station. As a result of the four-way handshakingcapability built into the WLAN transmission protocol, the CP device 117may use the RTSCTS protocol to prevent collisions betweenfrequency-overlapping protocols 110, 111 and allow bandwidth for thetransmission of BT packets.

FIG. 5B further illustrates the interference region of the previouslydescribed embodiments of the collision avoidance timing diagram 200discussed in FIG. 5A. The plurality of BT packets 204, 205, 206 may betransmitted during a longer jamming period 211. In this embodiment, thePLCP header 220 is encoded with a longer jamming signal 202 length,which allows the plurality of BT packets 204, 205, 206 to be sent beforethe WLAN packet 208 is sent. In addition, the WLAN air channel isasserted busy 212 for the duration of the longer jamming period 211. Inone aspect, the CP device 117 adapts to the wireless network 100 servicelevels where multiple BT packets may be transmitted during a longerjamming period.

FIG. 6A illustrates yet another embodiment of the collision avoidancetiming diagram 200 for the application of the jamming signal 202 in thewireless network 100. As previously discussed, the CP device 117 permitsand coordinates the coexistence of the wireless network 100 withfrequency-overlapping protocols 110, 111 by using the transmissionverification sequences 150A, 150B. This particular application of thejamming signal 202 is recognized by the WLAN CCA Mode 2/4 function,where the jamming signal 202 is a first transformed packet 213 modulatedby the current WLAN modulation/coding protocol in a manner known in theart, but may not include any valid packet fields. The first transformedpacket 213 will be sent on the air channel until the start of the BTpacket 204 transmission. Once the BT packet 204 initiates transmission,the BT packet 204 will proceed to be modulated/coded as a secondtransformed packet 214 in a similar manner as the jamming signal 202. Inone aspect, both the jamming signal 202 and the BT packet 204 appear tothe WLAN stations as a valid WLAN signal. In addition, with thetransmission of the first and second transformed packets 213, 214, aWLAN busy 212 is asserted on the air channel.

FIG. 6A further illustrates still another embodiment of the collisionavoidance timing diagram 200. This particular application of the jammingsignal 202 is recognized by the WLAN CCA Mode 3/5 function, where thejamming signal 202 is may not include any valid WLAN packets modulatedin the current WLAN modulation/coding method with the power of thejamming signal 202 higher than a transmission power threshold at theWLAN receiving stations. In one aspect, the first and second transformedpackets 213, 214 assert a WLAN busy 212 on the air channel due to thetransmission power being above a threshold. In another aspect, both thejamming signal 202 and the BT packet 204 appear to the WLAN stations asa valid WLAN signal and are then demodulated/decoded by the WLANstations within the wireless network 100. In addition, once the WLANstations demodulate/decode the data packet, it may appear to be acorrupted data packet. Therefore, the WLAN station may reject thereceived packet as invalid and discard the data as corrupted.

FIG. 6B further illustrates the interference region 232 of theabove-mentioned embodiments of the collision avoidance timing diagram200 discussed in FIG. 6A. The plurality of BT packets 204, 205, 206 maybe transmitted during a longer jamming period 211. In this embodiment,the jamming signal 202 plus the plurality of BT packets 204, 205, 206are modulated/encoded into a WLAN recognizable signal with a longerjamming period 211, which allows the plurality of BT packets 204, 205,206 to be sent before the WLAN packet 208 is sent. In addition, the WLANair channel is asserted busy 212 for the duration of the longer jammingperiod 211.

In one aspect, jamming signals may collide and interfere with othersignals that are simultaneously transmitted on the air channel. Toovercome collision interference, the jamming signal may be repeatedlytransmitted beyond a valid packet length timing period. As a result,when the data packet has finished transmitting, the jamming signal willappear on the air channel without further collision. Due to the jammingsignal being detected on the air channel at the end of the data packettransmission, the WLAN stations will assert a busy on the air channeland, thus, will not proceed to transmit further data packets. In anotheraspect, if a valid WLAN packet header is used as a jamming signal, thenthe header should appear as a complete header. In addition, the headermay include the error check fields after the collision period.

In the various embodiments of the previously described collisionavoidance method, a combination of WLAN and Bluetooth transmissiontraffic coordination may moderate both frequency-overlapping protocolssimultaneously 110, 111. Moderation of both protocols provides a greaterlevel of control and permits the CP device 117 to effectively manageboth protocols to insure that service level constraints are met. It ishowever conceived that the CP device 117 may exert moderation control ina single protocol 110, 111. The single protocol configuration of the CPdevice 117 may still be able to effectively moderate data traffic toprevent data collisions or interference, which may degrade data packetthroughput.

In the development of numerous wireless communication standards,incorporation of monitoring the transmission traffic with the jammingsignal concept represents a flexible yet powerful way to insurecompatibility among frequency-overlapping wireless communication devicesto improve data throughput and prevent undesirable data corruption andnetwork latency. Coordination of frequency-overlapping protocols usingthe aforementioned apparatus, system, and method permits the use ofnumerous classes of wireless communication devices, which were until nowincompatible with one another. A further benefit of this invention isthe formation of a control point device, which may be incorporated intoan existing wireless network with mixed protocols and topologies toincrease data throughput by reducing conflicting data transmissions. Thejamming method(s) described herein may also be integrated into a newwireless communication device and network designs to improve loadbalancing and frequency sharing functionality across multiplefrequency-overlapping protocols without the need for an independentcontrol point device.

Although the following description exemplifies one embodiment of thepresent invention, it should be understood that various omissions,substitutions, and changes in the form of the detail of the apparatus,system, and method as illustrated as well as the uses thereof, may bemade by those skilled in the art, without departing from the spirit ofthe present invention. Consequently, the scope of the present inventionshould not be limited to the disclosed embodiments, but should bedefined by the appended claims.

1. A method for collision avoidance in a wireless network wherein afirst protocol and a second protocol are utilized by a plurality of datatransfer terminals to transmit data over at least partially overlappingfrequencies, the method comprising: acquiring timing statisticsreflective of a first data schedule for the first protocol and thesecond protocol during the data transmission between the plurality ofdata transfer terminals; analyzing the timing statistics of the firstdata schedule to identify impending collisions resulting fromfrequency-overlap in data transmission in the first and the secondprotocols; constructing a second data schedule in which the datatransmission in the first and the second protocol are arranged in anon-colliding order; and transmitting a jamming signal to manipulate thedata transmission in at least one of the protocols thereby conformingthe data transmission to the second data schedule such that subsequentdata transmission occurs without collision.
 2. The method of claim 1,wherein analyzing the timing statistics further comprises identifyingtraffic types within the data exchange and determining quality ofservice for the traffic types.
 3. The method of claim 2, wherein thetraffic types comprise a voice quality traffic type and a data qualitytraffic type.
 4. The method of claim 2, wherein constructing the seconddata schedule comprises prioritizing the traffic types based on thetiming statistics.
 5. The method of claim 2, wherein constructing thesecond data schedule further comprises prioritizing the traffic typesbased on predetermined levels of quality of service.
 6. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the first protocol is a frequency-hopping spreadspectrum protocol.
 7. The method of claim 6, wherein thefrequency-hopping spread spectrum protocol is a Bluetooth protocol. 8.The method of claim 1, wherein the second protocol is a direct-sequencespread spectrum protocol.
 9. The method of claim 8, wherein thedirect-sequence spread spectrum protocol is a wireless local areanetwork (WLAN) protocol or an IEEE 802.11B protocol.
 10. A datacollision rectification device for use in a wireless communicationnetwork wherein frequency-overlapping protocols comprising a firstprotocol and a second protocol are used to exchange information betweena plurality of data transfer nodes and result in periodic collisionswhen information is transmitted by the first and the second protocol infrequency-overlapping manner, the device comprising: a coordinationcomponent which receives and transmits information using at least one ofthe protocols and moderates the exchange of information by emitting ajamming signal which delays the transmission of information in at leastone of the protocols; and a synchronization component which receivestiming statistics during the exchange of information between theplurality of data transfer nodes using at least one of the protocols andsubsequently assesses the timing statistics to determine if datacollisions are imminent and furthermore directs the coordinationcomponent to moderate subsequent information exchange using the jammingsignal to reduce data collisions between the frequency-overlappingprotocols.
 11. The device of claim 10, wherein a transmissionverification sequence is used to determine an available channel totransmit data in a non-frequency overlapping manner and wherein thejamming signal is used to temporarily and selectively exert a busystatus within the wireless communication network such the secondprotocol is inhibited from transmitting data while the first protocol isallowed to transmit data in a non-conflicting manner.
 12. The device ofclaim 10, wherein the first protocol is a frequency-hopping spreadspectrum protocol or a direct-sequence spread spectrum protocol.
 13. Thedevice of claim 10, wherein the second protocol is a direct-sequencespread spectrum protocol or a frequency-hopping spread spectrumprotocol.
 14. The device of claim 12, wherein the frequency-hoppingspread spectrum protocol is a Bluetooth protocol.
 15. The device ofclaim 13, wherein the direct-sequence spread spectrum protocol is a WLANprotocol or IEEE 802.11B protocol.
 16. The device of claim 10, whereinthe data collision rectification device uses a control pointtransmission verification sequence to coordinate transmission traffic inthe wireless communication network.
 17. A method for maintaining adesired quality of service in a wireless communication network having aplurality of traffic types broadcast over at least partially overlappingfrequencies, the method comprising: assigning a priority to each of thetraffic types; associating at least one quality of service threshold toeach of the plurality of traffic types; assessing a current quality ofservice for at least one of the traffic types; and applying a decisionmaking sequence to prioritize the traffic types in order to maintain thecurrent quality of service within the at least one quality of servicethreshold for each traffic type, the decision making sequence furthercapable of moderating broadcast of at least one of the plurality oftraffic types with a jamming signal, wherein use of the jamming signalis based on the priority and the at least one quality of servicethreshold of at least one of the traffic types.
 18. The method of claim17, wherein the decision making sequence detects a reduction of thecurrent quality of service for a first traffic type and applies thejamming signal to insert a delay in at least a portion of a secondtraffic type with a lower priority to permit increased throughput of thefirst traffic type with a higher priority.
 19. The method of claim 18,wherein the decision making sequence detects a reduction of the currentquality of service for the second traffic type below the desired levelof quality of service level and removes the jamming signal to halt thedelay and permit the second traffic type to increase throughput toachieve the desired quality of service level.
 20. The method of claim17, wherein the decision making sequence detects a reduction of thecurrent quality of service for a first traffic type and delays thetransmission of a second traffic type with a lower priority to permitincreased throughput of the first traffic type with a higher priority.21. The method of claim 18, wherein the first traffic type comprises aBluetooth protocol and the second traffic types comprises a WLAN or IEEE802.11B protocol, the first and second traffic types beingsimultaneously broadcast in the wireless communication network.
 22. Amethod for traffic coordination in a wireless communication networkwherein a plurality of communication devices transmit information usinga plurality of frequency-overlapping protocols and wherein a controlpoint issues sequencing signals to manage traffic over the plurality offrequency-overlapping protocols to reduce collisions, the methodcomprising: listening to the traffic of the communication devices;determining an order in the traffic which reduces collision between thefrequency-overlapping protocols; and transmitting the sequencing signalsto stall traffic in at least one of the frequency-overlapping protocolsthereby ordering the traffic.
 23. The method for traffic coordination ofclaim 22, wherein the sequencing signals comprise jamming signals issuedby the control point to selectively order the traffic by stalling atleast one of the frequency-overlapping protocols thereby permittinginformation transmission through other frequency-overlapping protocolssuch that data reduced collisions are reduced.
 24. The method fortraffic coordination of claim 23, wherein the jamming signals aretransmitted on the selected frequency-overlapping protocol at a powerabove a threshold level which results in wireless communication devicesusing the selected protocol to perceive a busy status temporarilystalling traffic in the selected protocol.
 25. The method for trafficcoordination of claim 23, wherein the jamming signals arc recognized asvalid data-transmission packets containing information interpreted bywireless communication devices using the selected frequency-overlappingprotocol to indicate the selected frequency-overlapping protocol isbusy.
 26. The method for traffic coordination of claim 23, wherein thejamming signals are recognized as invalid data-transmission packetswhich stall the selected frequency-overlapping protocols.
 27. The methodfor traffic coordination of claim 23, wherein the jamming signals arerecognized as time reservation packets containing informationinterpreted by wireless communication devices using the selectedfrequency-overlapping protocols to wait for permission to transmit. 28.The method for traffic coordination of claim 22, wherein thefrequency-overlapping protocols are frequency-hopping spread spectrumprotocols or direct-sequence spread spectrum protocols.
 29. The methodfor traffic coordination of claim 22, wherein the frequency-overlappingprotocols comprise a Bluetooth protocol and a wireless local areanetwork (WLAN) protocol.